On Sunday, April 17, twenty-six days after an accident involving the same type, China Eastern resumed operating its fleet of Boeing 737-800s after suspending 223 aircraft for preventive checks.
The company said that systems tests, structural checks, and airworthiness checks were conducted on each aircraft. It also stated that all 737-800s returning to commercial service will conduct test flights prior to passenger operations.
According to Reuters, flight MU5843 took off from Kunming and landed in Chengdu two hours later. The aircraft made the return flight to Kunming hours later without incident.
On March 21, flight MU5735 crashed with 132 people on board, the worst aviation accident on Chinese soil in 28 years.
The last accident of similar magnitude was in 2012 when a Henan Airlines Embraer E190 crashed on the approach to Yichun Lindu Airport, killing forty-four people.
After a succession of fatal crashes in the 1990s the country notoriously improved its safety record, thanks to a constant fleet renewal and stricter controls.
The aircraft went into a steep dive, after which it impacted with great energy against the ground in the Guangxi area. The investigation is being led by the CAAC and has already recovered the two black boxes, which are being analyzed in the United States.
China Eastern also said that the 737-800s with license plates close to the plane that crashed in March are still undergoing overhaul and maintenance, so they will not return to active service in the immediate future.
